HEART ATTACK

A heart attack is when blood vessels that supply blood to the heart are blocked, preventing enough oxygen from getting to the heart. The heart muscle dies or becomes permanently damaged. Your doctor calls this a myocardial infarction.

Most heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. If the blood flow is blocked, the heart starves for oxygen and heart cells die.

Risk factors for heart attack and coronary artery disease include:

  •     Increasing age (over age 65)
  •     Male gender
  •     Diabetes
  •     Family history of coronary artery disease (genetic or hereditary factors)
  •     High blood pressure
  •     Smoking
  •     Too much fat in your diet
  •     Unhealthy cholesterol levels, especially high LDL ("bad") cholesterol and low HDL ("good") cholesterol
  •     Chronic kidney disease

Symptoms

Chest pain is a major symptom of heart attack. You may feel the pain in only one part of your body, or it may move from your chest to your arms, shoulder, neck, teeth, jaw, belly area, or back. The pain can be severe or mild. It can feel like:

    A tight band around the chest
    Bad indigestion
    Something heavy sitting on your chest
    Squeezing or heavy pressure

The pain usually lasts longer than 20 minutes. Rest and a medicine called nitroglycerin may not completely relieve the pain of a heart attack. Symptoms may also go away and come back.

Other symptoms of a heart attack include:

    Anxiety
    Cough
    Fainting
    Light-headedness, dizziness
    Nausea or vomiting
    Palpitations (feeling like your heart is beating too fast or irregularly)
    Shortness of breath
    Sweating, which may be extreme

Some people (the elderly, people with diabetes, and women) may have little or no chest pain. Or, they may experience unusual symptoms (shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness).

If you want to learn more about how to help someone who is having a Heart Attack please give us a call to set up an appointment!
1-800-477-6193


CPR and More
11030 Arrow Rt., Suite 204
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730